Letters to the editor

‘Catchup’ day

Editor,

Working women in San Mateo County, and throughout the country, have something important in common on Tuesday, April 22, 2008. It’s the day we "catch up” with our male counterparts on the paycheck track. In other words, it takes about 14 months for women to earn what men earn in 12 months.

Generally, women are paid 77 cents for every dollar a man is paid, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The goal of Tuesday’s National Equal Pay Day is to call attention to this disturbing fact.

At a time when America’s economy is in a downturn, every penny counts. Economist Evelyn Murphy, president and founder of The WAGE Project, estimates that the wage gap costs the average American full-time woman worker between $700,000 and $2 million over the course of her lifetime.

There were 70.2 million women aged 16 and over in the workforce in 2007, a significant increase from 18.4 million in 1950. In 2007, women comprised 46 percent of the labor force. With more women in the workforce, and more families reliant upon women’s paychecks for their livelihood, the U.S. must address the wage gap for the sake of American families and their financial stability.Whether you are an employer, legislator or an individual working woman, you can help close the wage gap:

EMPLOYERS: Complete the self-audit available through the U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau at: http://www.pay-equity.org/cando-audit.html. This 10-step guide helps you analyze your company’s practices.

INDIVIDUALS: Let your congresswoman and senator know how important fair pay is to you. Ask them to co-sponsor current legislation that would help achieve fair pay. For example, Rep. Anna Eshoo, D., Atherton, is cosponsor of H.R. 1388, the Paycheck Fairness Act.

For more information about how you can support equal pay efforts, visit http://www.pay-equity.org/

Margie O’Clair

Belmont

The letter writer is on the Commission on the Status of Women of San Mateo County

Bye bye pope

I am so glad that Pope Benedict XVI’s six day visit to the United States is at an end. I understand that many of what are called "the faithful” were pleased. However, I and a number of my friends, who might be designated as among "the rational,” were not happy at all. It was just stunning to observe the overwhelming amount of obsequious bowing, scraping, kissing of rings, etc. that even our most prominent politicians happily subjected themselves to, including our president, vice president, speaker of the House and others.

More stunning still was the absolute silence of the ever-obedient press, and even the secular portion of our society in general — approximately 14 percent of the population according to recent Pew Center polls. Not a peep. I followed television accounts closely. I saw one set of protest signs I recognized as being from an extreme right-wing fundamentalist group complaining the Pope was not fundamentalist enough, but nothing else. Nothing. We are all supposed to be "respectful” of this CEO of a scandal-ridden, homophobic, anti-science superstition. Amazing.

Donald Havis

San Mateo

Speier would

not be an asset

Editor,

I have read and will continue to read your paper daily and I enjoy it very much. I deliberately did not write this letter sooner as I knew it would most likely be dismissed out of hand due to the fact that you endorsed Jackie Speier and I for a plethora of reasons cannot. She has done nothing of value or consequence for the majority of the people she is supposed to represent. Early in her legislative career, she bashed men at every opportunity. During her time in the legislature, our schools have become dismal and instead of the Legislature running our schools that job has increasingly turned over to the CTA. Consequently, our schools continue to be more expensive to run than they should be with little growth.

She was in the Legislature when nothing appreciable was done to ensure we store enough water to survive a long drought. The legislature and Jackie Speier learned nothing from the ’80s drought. Lastly, for this letter, she did absolutely nothing to remove chloramine from our water supply (the best water in the world with no reason in the world to add poison to our drinking water. The only reason it is being added to our water is for someone to make money).

Jackie is a person who tells you how great she is but does nothing more than smile and gets away from you as quick as she can. That’s why I cannot and will not vote for her. She will always put herself first and the people she represents or is supposed to represent last. In my mind, you really did not investigate her in depth. Maybe you did not know. Every bill that made the news was either later watered down or made weak at the start.

She always operated in her best interest. As my old professor often stated, the first duty of every politician is to get re-elected. I suspect we will get the same when she goes to Washington, D.C. We complain about our politicians and the lack of response but with the help of the media, we continually re-elect the same people. Consequently, the political parties become more important than our state or country. What the California legislators give themselves is an absolute travesty. Their perks should be listed loud and often because they take money from you and me.

Charles E. Tooth

South San Francisco

Kudos to a job well done

Editor

I’m no fan of Mayor Gavin Newson, however, I really wonder if Supervisor Aaron Peskin is "all there.” It was apparent to me at least that the potential for violence was clear if not inevitable. Had the torch run not been changed and the protesters mounted a charge I doubt there would have been any way the SFPD could have restrained them given their numbers which appeared to be in the thousands, both for and against. Had this occurred I can only wonder what Peskin’s condemnation would have been relative to the mayor not changing the route. Kudos to Mayor Newson for making a common sense decision. To Supervisor Peskin: have a drink and get a good nights sleep. I think you need both.

Larry Hurley

Daly City